Updated on: April 26, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Call of Duty: Warzone in 2024:
- 🥇ExpressVPN: It provides the fastest gaming speeds on the market, has servers in 105 countries, protects against DDoS attacks, and has excellent security features. It also has an easy-to-use app for routers, allowing you to securely game on your console, and it backs all plans with a risk-free 30-day refund.
I quickly learned how frustrating slowdowns are playing Call of Duty: Warzone (COD). My online speeds are great, but unfortunately, my internet service provider (ISP) sometimes throttles my speeds during long game sessions, which ruins my experience.
I’ve also never liked that I’m limited to playing against players in my own region. If you’re anything like me, you want to test your skills against players in other regions.
And finally, I also hate how rampant DDoS attacks are in this game’s community — all it takes is one sore loser targeting your IP address with a DDoS attack to force you offline for hours on end and ruin your weekend.
But I found the solution to all of those issues is to simply use a VPN, which is a tool that has servers across the world. Once you connect to a VPN server, you’re assigned an IP address that matches the location of that server. This allows you to access any content that’s available in that location (for COD, it means you can play against others in that region). Also, a VPN stops ISP throttling and protects you from DDoS attacks.
While not all VPNs are good picks, I managed to find the best ones for COD. My No. 1 pick is ExpressVPN because it has blazing-fast speeds that are excellent for gaming, and it comes with very intuitive and secure apps for all major platforms (even routers).
Quick summary of the best VPNs for Call of Duty: Warzone:
- 1.🥇 ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for Call of Duty: Warzone in 2024 + anti-DDoS protection on all servers.
- 2.🥈 Private Internet Access — Open-source VPN with highly customizable apps + fast speeds for playing COD.
- 3.🥉 CyberGhost VPN — Dedicated servers for gaming in 4 countries with low ping and stable connections.
- 4. NordVPN — Secure VPN with top-notch security features for COD + allows virtual LAN parties.
- 5. Surfshark — Affordable VPN for gaming with easy-to-use apps (great for beginners).
1. 🥇 ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Call of Duty: Warzone in 2024
ExpressVPN is my top choice for playing Call of Duty: Warzone due to its impressive blend of speeds, security, and reliability. This is also why it’s ranked as the best VPN for gaming in 2024.
When it comes to speeds, ExpressVPN’s are unmatched. I played several rounds connected to ExpressVPN’s servers, and honestly, I could barely tell the difference between my base speeds and my speeds when connected to ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN also helps prevent DDoS attacks as it hides your IP address, preventing anyone from using it to DDoS your network. Plus, all of the provider’s servers have anti-DDoS protection, so nobody can DDoS your connection to ExpressVPN to disconnect you from it. It’s also great that the VPN has full leak protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks — I ran 10+ leak tests, and I only ever saw ExpressVPN’s IP addresses.
The provider also secures your COD traffic via high-end security features:
- Audited no-logs policy. ExpressVPN does not keep any logs of your online activities or IP address. Its no-logs policy has also been confirmed by several independent audits.
- RAM-only servers. Data is only written to the RAM and not the hard drive, and every server reset wipes all data.
- Perfect forward secrecy. Changes the encryption key for every session, so that even if someone compromises 1 key, they won’t be able to access any past or future session.
- Threat Manager. Prevents ad trackers from collecting information about your browsing, so that advertisers can’t spy on what you google about Call of Duty: Warzone. The feature also protects you from shady sites.
- Ad Blocker. Filters out most display ads and stops them from loading and appearing on your browser.
I also like that ExpressVPN is very user-friendly. It divides servers into regions, and there’s a Favorites tab for quick access. It’s also great that it has a very intuitive app for Windows that is really simple to navigate. In addition, it has a router app that’s simple to install and use — that allows you to game with ExpressVPN on Xbox and PlayStation 5.
There’s also split-tunneling, which lets you pick which apps use the VPN and which ones don’t. I successfully used this tool to only route COD traffic through ExpressVPN, which increased my gaming speeds by about 15%.
ExpressVPN’s plans start at $6.67 / month. It’s pricier than some competitors, but I believe that the premium features and exceptional performance justify the cost. Plus, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Call of Duty: Warzone on the market. It has impressive speeds, industry-leading security features (like full leak protection and RAM-only servers), and extra perks like a dedicated router app and split-tunneling. All of its plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Highly Customizable VPN With Great Gaming Speeds
Private Internet Access (PIA) has great customization and speeds for COD: Warzone. It lets you choose between different protocols (including OpenVPN and WireGuard) and encryption levels, letting you prioritize speeds or security depending on what’s more important for your gaming sessions. You can also make the VPN automatically connect to a server on unsecured networks, which is great if you’re gaming on your laptop while traveling.
And, the provider’s gaming speeds are really good. I used both nearby and distant servers to play a few rounds of Call of Duty: Warzone, and I usually had stable ping and didn’t experience any lag. Plus, I like that split-tunneling is available, as it lets you boost your speeds.
Security-wise, PIA does a great job. It has an independently audited and verified no-logs policy and full leak protection, and it uses RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy. Also, all of its apps are open-source, which means anyone can inspect the code for vulnerabilities. PIA also regularly releases transparency reports that show it doesn’t comply with any data requests from authorities. On top of that, PIA has anti-DDoS protection on all of its servers in 91 countries.
PIA has a very intuitive Windows app — it makes it very easy to find any server you’re looking for, and it’s also possible to filter server locations by latency to find the fastest one for your location. Plus, the VPN supports unlimited connections, so it’s a great pick if everyone in your house needs a COD VPN. While it comes with router support, there’s no dedicated router app (unlike ExpressVPN), so you have to set it up manually.
Private Internet Access is very affordable, with plans starting at $2.03 / month. Also, all plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is very customizable and provides fast and stable speeds. It lets you tweak encryption options and set up automation rules — plus, it also allows unlimited connections. And the VPN also has very strong security and privacy features. All of its plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Comes With Gaming-Optimized Servers
CyberGhost VPN has 70+ gaming-optimized servers that are configured to provide very fast speeds and stable ping with no lag. Its gaming servers are located in 4 countries: the US, the UK, Germany, and France. I tested both gaming and non-gaming servers while playing COD, and I usually had much faster and more stable connections on the gaming servers.
CyberGhost also protects you from DDoS attacks that disconnect you from your gaming session, and it has DNS and IPv6 leak protection, which I tested multiple times and never saw any leaks.
Also, the VPN has other great security features, including an audited no-log privacy policy, RAM-only servers, and perfect forward secrecy. It also has Content Blocker, which blocks connections to malicious sites — this is handy for avoiding shady links on gaming forums. Also, it has Identity Guard, which alerts you if your login credentials (like the ones for your COD account) are compromised.
What’s more, CyberGhost is very easy to use. I really like its Smart Rules feature that lets you automate your VPN connection — for example, you can have it connect to your favorite gaming-optimized server whenever you launch the VPN app. Or, you can configure it to automatically connect you to a gaming server when you launch Call of Duty: Warzone.
CyberGhost has a Windows app and supports manual router setups — but if you were mainly interested in using the VPN on a router, I’d go with ExpressVPN since it has a dedicated router app.
CyberGhost VPN’s pricing starts at $2.19 / month. Its long-term plans offer a generous 45-day money-back guarantee, and its monthly plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN has gaming servers in 4 countries that provide great speeds. In addition, it comes with very good security and router support, and it also offers an excellent level of automation for those who just want to let the VPN do its work in the background. CyberGhost’s long-term plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee and they’re very affordable.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Great for Secure Gaming & Virtual LAN Parties
NordVPN is a great pick for securely hosting COD games for your friends to join. It comes with Meshnet, which is a feature that allows you to create LAN parties and link up to 60 devices over encrypted VPN connections.
On top of that, the VPN also has other great security features. It comes with full leak protection, RAM-only servers, an audited no-logs policy, and perfect forward secrecy. What’s more, its Dark Web Monitor tool alerts you if your NordVPN login is compromised — if you use the same login for your COD account, Dark Web Monitor will help you keep an eye on it too.
I’m also a big fan of its app-based kill switch, which allows you to select specific apps that shut down if the VPN disconnects. I tested it with Call of Duty: Warzone 5+ times, and each time I disconnected from the VPN, my game was interrupted.
NordVPN also protects you from DDoS attacks, but it’s missing anti-DDoS protection like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access have. This means an upset gamer could DDoS your VPN connection to disconnect you from the VPN — so you’ll have to reconnect to a different VPN server.
NordVPN had great speeds during my gaming sessions. I never experienced any lag with NordVPN. Also, it maintained very stable ping, and my connections to the COD servers never dropped in any of my games.
The provider’s Windows app is also really good — it’s really easy to navigate, and it also comes with split-tunneling. It’s possible to set up the VPN on your router by following the provider’s step-by-step guides.
NordVPN has tier-based plans with prices starting at $3.09 / month. Also, all plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is really good for securely playing COD matches over LAN with your friends. The VPN also has advanced security features, a great app-based kill switch, and really good speeds It also comes with a great Windows app and router support. Its plans are reasonably-priced and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Beginner-Friendly VPN for Call of Duty: Warzone
Surfshark is great for COD players who are new to VPNs. Its Windows app is very user-friendly, and it comes with convenient features like a customizable auto-connect option that allows you to choose which server you want Surfshark to connect to every time you go online. I also really like that all of its features come with helpful explanations. Plus, the provider allows unlimited connections, which is great.
Surfshark has decent speeds, but it’s still slower than ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. My connections were stable in all of my games, and I also enjoyed stable ping on both nearby and distant servers. That said, on some distant servers, I experienced some minor lag — though it wasn’t game-breaking.
I like how the VPN provides good protection against DDoS attacks thanks to its IP Rotator feature that regularly changes your VPN IP address, making it harder for someone to track your location — without disconnecting you from the VPN server.
In addition, the provider has other ways to secure your COD traffic. It has an independently audited no-logs policy, RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and DNS leak protection. Also, it comes with CleanWeb, which protects you from malicious sites and ads — this comes in handy if you accidentally visit shady sites that cover COD-related topics.
Surfshark’s plans are super cheap, starting at only $2.29 / month. It backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is great for COD players who have never used a VPN. It comes with a very intuitive Windows app, and it also allows unlimited connections. Also, the VPN has good security features, decent speeds, and very cheap plans. Also, all purchases are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for Call of Duty: Warzone in 2024
How to Choose the Best VPN for Call of Duty: Warzone in 2024
- Find a fast VPN. Look for a VPN that offers high-speed connections and minimal latency as even the slightest slowdown will ruin the experience with a fast-paced game like Call of Duty: Warzone. I had very fast speeds with all of the VPNs on my list, but ExpressVPN was the fastest.
- Get a VPN that has a large server network. A large server network allows you to try your skills in different regions, and it makes it much easier to find a nearby server for the best possible speed. ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN both have servers in 100+ countries.
- Make sure there are anti-DDoS safeguards. A DDoS assault occurs when a different user inundates your network with excessive requests, leading to overloading. This can result in lag in the best-case scenario, and compel you to disconnect in the worst. Every VPN included in my list offers protection from DDoS attacks.
- Consider privacy and security features. Every VPN on my list has industry-standard security features, including military-grade AES-256 encryption, a kill switch that disconnects you from the internet when your connection to the VPN server drops, and a no-logs policy.
- Choose a VPN that’s easy to use. The VPNs I recommend make it very easy to find any server location in their server list. Also, they have convenient features that help you automate your connections.
- Select a VPN that offers a good value. All the VPNs I recommend come with affordable plans, allow multiple device connections, and offer money-back guarantees on all plans.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear offers decent speeds and good security, but it’s slower than all VPNs on my list and only has servers in 47 countries. Its biggest downside is there’s no router support.
- VyprVPN. VyprVPN is a secure VPN with a solid server network in 64 countries. It also has router support and decent speeds, but it doesn’t have any extra features for gaming.
- Proton VPN. Proton VPN has great privacy and security, offers a large server network in 91 countries, and has a very good free plan. But it’s slower than all of the VPNs on my list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a VPN for Call of Duty: Warzone?
You don’t really need one, but I always use a VPN because of the extra layer of security it provides since VPNs protect against DDoS attacks. Also, VPNs hide your online traffic to prevent ISP throttling and allow you to play in a different region.
My favorite VPN for playing Call of Duty: Warzone is ExpressVPN as it provides the fastest speeds on the market, has very intuitive apps for all platforms (including a router app), and has excellent security and privacy features, including anti-DDoS protection on all servers.
Can a VPN reduce lag in Call of Duty: Warzone?
Yes, but usually only if your ISP is throttling your speeds. Once you connect to a server, the VPN will encrypt your traffic and your ISP won’t be able to see what you’re doing. That will prevent them from selectively throttling your COD speeds.
If you need to prevent bandwidth throttling, I recommend getting ExpressVPN, which has excellent security and privacy features, provides very stable ping and fast speeds that are ideal for gaming, and comes with user-friendly apps for all devices (even routers).
Does using a VPN affect gaming performance?
All VPNs will slow down your speeds to a certain extent due to the encryption-decryption process. But a high-quality VPN won’t negatively affect gaming performance. This is because top VPNs offer really fast speeds, which are great for gaming, and are able to maintain stable connections and low ping.
For the best performance, I recommend ExpressVPN as it’s the fastest out there. Also, it comes with apps for all devices (even routers) and industry-leading security features to help avoid any DDoS attacks and protect your online privacy while gaming.
What is the best VPN server location for Warzone?
The best possible location is usually the one that’s nearest to your actual location, as connecting to the closest server ensures you get the best possible speeds. I recommend using ExpressVPN, as I recorded superfast speeds during my tests.
